DENVER Jay Busa reminisces about his childhood, which was spent surrounded by books, flowers, and female friends.
“I grew up with a great love for flowers, especially
during Flores de Mayo, because I love to decorate our church with lots of
flowers to make it look more beautiful,” says the 27-year-old police corporal
from Maydolong town in Eastern Samar province.
His affection for beautiful flowers stemmed from the
lessons he received from his catechist teachers at St. Roch the Healer Chapel,
in their small village of Maybocog in Maydolong.
Maydolong is a quaint, fourth-class town in Eastern
Samar, with over 15,000 people.
“My religion teachers reminded me that when you offer a
flower during Flores de Mayo, you offer it to Mama Mary, the mother of Jesus
Christ. From this, I realized that we should do our best and give everything to
the Lord all the time,” he says.
At the age of nine, Busa already started working in the
church, assisting the priest during mass and joining the choir.
“Every Sunday, I feel involved in a group with a purpose.
And that purpose is to serve God and others,” says Busa.
He fondly remembers the late priest Nemesio Quiloña, who
influenced him about the Catholic faith and Christian values during his teenage
years as a church helper.
A lover of knowledge, spiritual matters
As the eldest son among four siblings, Busa already sees
himself as a “breadwinner” in the family.
His father, Ernesto Jr., is a lowly coconut farmer, while
his mother, Ma. Rodita, is a laundrywoman.
“My parents work hard for all of us. This is the reason
why I also work hard to finish my studies,” says Busa.
For introducing him to the Angelus prayer, Busa recalls
with fondness and gratitude the inspiration he received from his neighbor, the
late Maximo Mabansag, the patriarch of the Mabansag Family.
“The Mabansag Family strictly observed the Angelus prayer.
As a frequent visitor to their house, I discovered the importance of praying
for my own family,” Busa says.
When he was around eight years old until 11 years old,
Busa exerted efforts to always go to the house of the Mabansag Family.
“I had to go there because they had a big Grolier
Encyclopedia and copies of Reader’s Digest. Since our family could not afford
to buy books, I am thankful to the Mabansag Family for allowing me to read and
use their books for my school assignments,” he says.
In his high school years in Maydolong, Busa spent more
time hanging around with female friends than with males.
“All of my friends were girls. I didn’t have any male
friends,” says Busa, as he accepted the fact that he was growing up as a
homosexual.
Busa finished top of his class as valedictorian in
elementary and first honorable mention in high school.
In 2015, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in
Elementary Education at Eastern Samar State University-Maydolong Campus and
received the “Student Excellence Award.”
“I didn’t have vices when I was in college. This is
because I always considered my parents' situation. I have to improve our family
condition,” Busa says.
To help augment his allowance, Busa would assist his
fellow students with their class reporting, projects, or schoolwork in exchange
for any amount they could share with him, whether it was P20 or P50.
“We didn’t have enough money to buy rice. There were
times when we couldn’t even cook rice. But I did not become rebellious towards
my parents by engaging in vices despite the poverty I experienced when I was
young,” Busa says.
At present, his brother works at the local government
unit of Maydolong, and another sister is working as a nurse in a private
hospital in Tacloban City, while the youngest is still in school.
“We support each other until all of us can finish our
studies,” he says.
Persistent love
for service
Busa admits he is brimming with idealism and wants to do
many things in life for others.
“There is so much in me that I wanted to share with the
children, especially those stories that I read in books,” says Busa.
He says his college professors were rooting for him to
become an educator or a school principal after he obtained his teaching
license.
“I was very competitive in college. However, not
everything in life will happen as planned,” he adds.
Busa failed to get a government teaching position, and he
attributed this to politics.
"That day, I realized I needed to find work as soon
as possible," he says, reflecting on how his morale hit rock bottom.
“I was 19 years old when I graduated college, and 20 when
I started to apply for a teaching job. But my experience of not getting a
teaching item snuffed out the ember of idealism in me that day,” he adds.
As he went home from a failed attempt to get a teaching
job, Busa heard a radio announcer informing the public that the Police Regional
Office-Eastern Visayas (PRO8) at Camp Ruperto Kangleon, in Palo town of Leyte
province needs 425 new police officer applicants.
The law enforcement job reignited his idealism as he
headed to the police camp, located some three hours away from his hometown, to
apply for police training.
After successfully completing the one-year police
training course and becoming a leader of his class despite his gender
orientation, Busa is now assigned as one of the personnel at the PRO8 Regional
Public Information Office.
His work assignments include handling and disseminating
information to the public through various communication platforms and linkages,
including hosting police radio programs.
“My heart is close to the police information office
because I got this job through the hiring information they announced on the
radio,” Busa told Catholic news site UCA News.
“I can now smile because I have finally done something
for myself, my family, my church, and others,” Busa adds.
Despite the success in his life, Busa has remained
grounded in his profession and his dealings with others.
“I am not perfect, but I did not stop trying. My father
always reminds me: ‘You’re already old enough, you know what is right and
wrong,’” he says.
As he finds his new life and responsibility, Busa’s love
for righteous service in the police and in his small community back home grows
even stronger.
“I love the philosophy of choosing the right thing, and
of focusing on improving oneself and what’s essential,” says Busa, as he shares
his philosophy in life with his circle of friends in the police force.
He typically starts his day at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. with
prayer and devotion.
He also uses his personal social media page to share the
words of God by posting Biblical verses to inspire the day.
“It is nice to start a police page with a word of God,”
says Busa, as he did the same in his office work as part of its social media
team.
Loyalty to the
job, God
Amid the criticisms facing the law enforcement agency in
the Philippines, particularly on its anti-drug campaign, Busa remains loyal and
proud of the men and women in uniform.
“What I appreciate in our organization is that amid the
issues it is facing, you will still find men and women with good values,” Busa
says.
“I want the public to know that police officers have
hearts. This is what I want to show in my work, in my service,” he adds.
Busa says he feels right every time he wears his police
uniform in public places.
“The responsibility that goes into wearing my police
uniform is fulfilling. This is the reason why I also pledge to myself that
whenever and wherever my service is needed, I will always respond to the call,”
he says.
“In my prayers, I always tell the Lord: ‘Make me an
instrument to serve the community,’” he adds.
When he is not doing police information-related tasks, he
also teaches new police applicants in the training school.
He serves as a resource speaker at different training
conferences.
During disasters, he leads humanitarian activities for
the police regional command.
Asked about his views on the anti-drug war policy, Busa
says the government has the recovery and wellness program “because we want
these people to find a new life.”
“I will be true to myself. I am not in an organization
that is perfect. This is why every day, we work hard to do the right thing. I
always remind the police recruits not to follow the footsteps of those who go
the other way,” he says.
For seven years in the police force, Busa only fired his
gun during marksmanship training.
He, however, says that he will not hesitate to use his
gun to protect someone’s life in danger.
But he assures that he follows the principle of “maximum
tolerance” in his police work.
“If God is watching, He will not allow evil to be
successful. We, in law enforcement, are here to just do that: To protect people
from evil.” (Ronald O. Reyes/Sunstar Philippines)
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